Experience

EcoSet

• United States
• Renewable Energy Semiconductor Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director, Business and Community Engagement

  • Jan 2012 - Present

  EcoSet Consulting works to "Zero Waste" commercial production sets for national advertisers during and after filming. As the Director of Business and Community Engagement, I lead the Donations team in creating strategic partnerships with local community groups as well as developing new business. The EcoSet Donations Department's main role is taking all discarded, yet useable items after the production wraps and placing them with local artists, student and theaters. The advertiser in turn, receives important data on how much material was diverted from landfill through recycling, compost, reduction and reuse, as well as heartwarming stories of how the donated materials are being put to good "re"use in the local community. Materials Oasis:EcoSet Donations operates a reuse center, Materials Oasis, that is a place of abundance in a land of scarcity for many. Salvaged materials recovered from sets such as wood, set walls, fabric, flooring, carpeting, rope, lighting expendables and packaging materials are given to anyone who can use them for their projects--free of charge. Think about it, productions dispose of perfectly useful materials while at the same time financially strapped non-profits and individuals are scrambling for resources! There is a real disconnect and a lack of a functioning network that builds the bridge between the "supply" with the demand". EcosSet is working to change this waste mindset by providing a service to socially responsible companies and showing them that there is a much more sensible way to deal with their discards by creating a bounty for someone else. EcoSet's Materials Oasis, along with the effective reuse network we have been building, are connecting the enormous supply of discarded scrap materials with an eager public willing to save these items from a landfill.



Waste Warrior Consulting

• Founder

  • Oct 2011 - Present

  Mission: Combating waste through market developmentCurrently working on creating a non-profit consulting organization that tackles various waste issues through stakeholder engagement, bold ideas and market strategies designed to connect supply with demand that will help build thriving recycling industries.Waste Warrior's first project is establishing an on-line marketplace for city tree waste that allows the wood working community and designers access to this resource. Rather than discarding these old growth trees in landfills or ground up as mulch, the goal is to produce something of value, such as flooring, cabinetry or furniture--thus, saving tens of thousands of boardfeet annually, restoring local lumber jobs and promoting the intrinsic value of connecting communities to their urban forest.



Presidio Graduate School

• United States
• Higher Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• MPA Graduate

  • Sep 2009 - May 2011

  Received my masters degree in Public Administration and Sustainability and learned the value of how the relationship between the private and the public sector can productively intersect for problem solving and shifting paradigms. As we see more public/private partnerships emerge, this understanding will be even more critical in discovering how these roles best fit together. Every project, paper or presentation I worked on while pursuing my education focused on my passion for waste and recycling issues, such as Zero Waste, carpet, tires, single-use bag ban policy, waste-to-energy, composting, and urban timber for lumber. • Researched zero waste models, plans and best practices for the City of Santa Monica's Office of Sustainability as they developed their 20 year Zero Waste program. I sat in ZW task force meetings including representatives from the Public Works department, waste service vendors and various city consultants. This research uncovered many infrastructure constraints, regional organics issues, policy trends and economic realities that would be critical pieces in designing a local ZW program. • Researched waste carpet issues for the environmental NGO, California Product Stewardship Council. This organization is a liaison between government and manufacturers that consults with producers on ways to take more responsibility for their products in production and end of life; using less toxins, as well as planning and implementing manufacturer "take-back" programs. This information was included on the organization's website and was a tool for policy makers and advocacy groups supporting AB 2398 , Carpet Product Stewardship bill, establishing the nation's first comprehensive and industry-financed carpet recycling program.These are just a few of the projects I was involved in that provided excellent experience, a vast network of recycling professionals and invaluable insight into the future direction of waste policies.



East Bay Business Times

• Advertising Director

  • Feb 2008 - Oct 2008

  Before joining the East Bay Business Times, I had been the Advertising Director of the company's Honolulu paper, Pacific Business News. I had moved to California and was later recruited back to orchestrate a major turn around of the ad sales department for their under-performing East Bay affiliate. The sales department needed to ramp up its staffing so my first priorities were hiring several sales people and assessing where the growth opportunities were in the market. I analyzed current projections against the annual budget and sales reports and reworked to reflect the current marketplace. The next step was to develop new sales tools and maximize existing under-performing entities, such as event sponsorship sales.Within six months and a full staff, one of our greatest accomplishments in this short time was growing sponsorship revenue by $100k with a net gain of 8 sponsors (80% new business). This turned the event segment of our business from losing money to profitability. Contracts and new business were also on a trajectory to grow, including an increase in such industries as legal, real estate and banking. Unfortunately, the recession that began in 2008 forced the paper to close sooner than anticipated. I was offered a lateral position with the company's San Jose paper but decided to pursue my long-term goal of attaining my Masters degree and switching to a career in recycling.



Pacific Business News

• Advertising Director

  • Mar 2004 - Sep 2006